“There are so many people talking nonsense about films,” said actor Brian Cox angrily this afternoon at the Edinburgh Film Festival.
The experienced Scottish actor, best known today for his leading role in HBO’s Consequencewas the surprise panelist at an industry talk at the revamped Scottish Fest, where he gave his take on the business in his own unique style.
During the well-attended discussion chaired by Rowan Woods, director of the Edinburgh TV Festival, Cox said he believed cinema was currently in “very bad shape” and had largely been overtaken by work in television.
“Television is doing what cinema used to do,” Cox said. “Cinema has lost its place partly because of all the grandiose elements like Marvel and DC. It starts to implode, so you kind of lose the thread. And television has really stolen the brand. Look at incredible things like Ripley And Consequence. There are so many.”
Cox acknowledged that he played a role in what he called the degradation of cinema by appearing in films such as 20th Century’s. X-Men. But he focused on other actors who are common in the superhero scene.
“It’s become a party for certain actors to do their thing. Hugh Jackman could do a little more and Ryan Reynolds could do a little more if he wanted to,” he said. “But that’s because they’re going down that path and it’s all about box office. They make a lot of money doing that. You can’t underestimate that.”
However, Cox’s critical assessment of the industry did not end there. Consequence The actor went on to address what he considers the “disgusting” business of self-taped auditions. The casting practice has been a controversial topic of conversation across the industry for several years, especially after it became the predominant form of casting following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s difficult for actors these days not to have some familiarity with the casting director. Now they want every young actor or actress to make their own self-tapes. And they have to do that without actually meeting anyone,” Cox said.
“In the past, you would meet Marion Dougherty or one of the casting directors and have a good rapport and know where you were going. But now young actors are in a kind of limbo where they’re supposed to stay that way. It’s frankly disgusting and it has to stop.”
Elsewhere during the session, Cox revealed that he is currently preparing for his directorial debut with a project he described as a “love letter” to Scotland.
“We’re not getting our place artistically,” he said of his country’s reputation in the world. “We created the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe, which is probably the biggest Fringe event ever. So we do things like that. But for homegrown stuff, that’s very, very difficult. Almost impossible. So I felt it was time to come back and honor not only the country but the people who work here.”
Cox, who was joined on the panel by WME’s Alex Walton, producer Afolabi Kuti and actress Nina Conti, said filming on the project will begin in two weeks and will include elements shot in black and white.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival runs until August 21st.
